Sin War (Event)
If you were looking for the novels written by Richard A. Knaak, see The Sin War (novels). : If you were looking for the in-game Tome from Diablo I with the same name, see Sin War (tome). The Sin War is the extension of the Great Conflict between the High Heavens and the Burning Hells in the mortal realm, albeit more subtle: instead of an all-out war, both angels and demons alike sought to lure mortal men into joining their causes, in order to gain the upperhand in the everlasting conflict. The Sin War started shortly after the creation of Sanctuary and continued until after the events of Diablo II, with a 'brief' truce after Uldyssian's sacrifice. Excerpt from the 'Librarius Ex Horadrim, Book One: Of Heaven and Hell': :The coming of the Great Conflict to the mortal realm is known as the Sin War. Angels and Demons, disguising themselves while traveling amongst men, attempted to secretly lure mortals to their respective causes. Over time, the forces of Darkness discovered that mortals responded much more to brute force than to subtle coercion, and so began to terrorize Man into submission. The Angels fought to defend humanity against this demonic oppression, but all too often their austere methods and severe punishments succeeded only in alienating those whom they sought to protect. :The violent battles of the Sin War occurred very often, but they were seldom witnessed by the prying eyes of Man. Only a few "enlightened" souls were aware of the supernatural beings that walked amongst the huddled masses of humanity. Powerful mortals arose and accepted the challenge of the Sin War, allying themselves with both sides in the Great Conflict. The legendary deeds of these great mortal warriors served to earn both the respect and hatred of the netherworlds. Although the lesser demons kneeled before those possessing power and strength, they also cursed the very existence of mortal man. Many of these fiends believed that the deadlock brought about by the emergence of Man was a perverse offense to their "higher" role in the great scheme of things. :This jealousy of Man led to harsh, atrocious acts of violence by the demons against the mortal realm. Some men learned of this deep hatred and used it against the denizens of the Underworld. One such mortal, Horazon the Summoner, delighted in summoning demons and then breaking them to his will. Horazon, along with his brother Bartuc, were members of the Eastern mage-clan known as the Vizjerei. This mystic clan studied the ways of demons and had catalogued their lore for generations. Empowered by this knowledge, Horazon was able to take the work of the Vizjerei and pervert it for his demented purposes. The denizens of Hell sought revenge against this bold mortal, but Horazon managed to keep himself well protected within his Arcane Sanctuary. :Bartuc, the brother of Horazon, was eventually lured to the side of Darkness. He was granted exceptional strength and longevity, and fought alongside the legions of Hell against the cursed Vizjerei, and eventually his own brother during the Sin War. Although Bartuc was renowned amongst the warriors of many realms, his dominance in battle came with a terrible price. An insatiable lust for mortal blood pervaded his every thought and deed. Bartuc soon became as fond of bathing in the blood of his enemies as he did of shedding it, and in time he came to be known only as the Warlord of Blood.Diablo I Manual, page 62-63. Background Origins The conflict between the High Heavens and Burning Hells was an everlasting conflict and as such, a stalemate. Attacks on one side would be repaid by counterstrikes; legions of demons and angels were obliterated in the process, but without causing a significant breakthrough. It was Inarius, tactical advisor to the Angiris Council of the High Heavens, who would eventually grow tired of the constant planning, counterplanning, and even counter-counterplanning. He gathered like-minded individuals from both Heaven and Hell, and led them far away from the carnage. There he created a realm he called Sanctuary, where the renegade angels and demons could live in peace. Inarius also fell in love with a like-minded demoness, Lilith. Inarius made certain his former masters - and enemies - would not find his refuge as he shielded the realm from outside interference. From the union of angel and demon the Nephalem were created. Inarius wanted to eradicate the nephalem or 'first born', whom he eyed as abominations, but it was Lilith who first saw their potential. She realized the nephalem had the potential to become more than both angel and demon, and wanted to harness their power for her own ends. To this end she murdered most (if not all) of the renegade angels and demons. For her transgressions, Inarius banished her to the void. Not fully able to eradicate the nephalem, Inarius now sought to contain their abilities. Therefore he created an artifact known as the Worldstone that would smother the nephalelm's innate powers. For a while all seemed right, but eventually both sides of the Conflict were bound to take notice of Sanctuary. It were the Burning Hells to first discover the realm. They took notice of the mortal inhabitants of Sanctuary and realized it's strategic value. Control over Sanctuary and it's mortal population could gain the decisive advantage in the Great Conflict. In order not to alert the High Heavens, the forces of Hell opted for the subtle approach. The Prime Evil Mephisto sent his son, Lucion, to the realm, where he established a cult - the Triune. This cult would win over humanity to it's side, gradually turning them over the side of Evil. However Inarius noticed the intrusion, and created a counter-sect - the Cathedral of Light - that preached the teachings of the Light. And so the great game had begun: a secret war of subterfuge and manipulations, with humanity as it's grand prize. Rise of the Nephalem The precarious balance between the Triune and the Cathedral dissolved due to the return of Lilith, who once again sought to bring the power of the Nephalem under her control. To this end, she weakened the dampening effect of the Worldstone and manipulated a simple farmer - Uldyssian - into removing the main obstacles: the Triune and the Cathedral. Though this proved effective at fist - Uldyssian and his Nephalem banished Lucion and toppled the Triune - Lilith eventually lost control of the situation. Uldyssian managed to severely weaken Lilith, allowing Inarius to once again banish her to the void. As the Nephalem now turned on the Cathedral and Inarius, the High Heavens finally discovered the mortal realm as well. With the Cathedral in ruins and Inarius defeated, both the Angiris Council and Mephisto convened in order to decide the fate of the mortal realm. Though the Council was torn, they eventually voted for Sanctuary's continued existence. In exchange for the renegade Inarius, Mephisto proposed a truce: the forces of Hell would no longer interfere on the mortal realm. Humanity was left to it's own devices and left out of the Great Conflict - or so it seemed. The Dark Exile However, the Three were not so eager to give up Sanctuary and decided to intervene directly. They contrived a cunning plan along with their ally, a fallen angel by the name of Izual, that would shatter the boundaries between the Burning Hells and the mortal realm. The Prime Evils feigned holding back in the Great Conflict, leading to much dissatisfaction amongst the Lesser Evils. It was not long until they staged a coup, banishing the Prime Evils to the mortal realm in what was dubbed the Dark Exile. By allowing themselves to be exiled in spirit-form, therefore appearing as a lesser threat, the Three set the perfect stage for the use of the Soulstones against them by the forces of Heaven. Although placing their main focus on the defense of their realms, the Angels of Heaven could not ignore the opportunity that was present to capture the Three within the Soulstones. Thus the Archangel Tyrael bestowed three Soulstones and their secrets upon the Horadrim brotherhood, an order of mortal magi. The Soulstones channeled the power of the Worldstone itself and were therefore capable to hold the Prime Evil's spirits. The Three ravaged the lands of the mortal realm, gorging on human souls to rebuild their power, with the Horadrim Brotherhood in hot pursuit. Mephisto was the first to be hunted down and trapped within a soulstone; the demon was imprisoned beneath the Temple of Light in distant Kurast, where the High Council of Zakarum watched over him. The Lord of Destruction, Baal, was eventually cornered in the deserts of Aranoch. However, during his struggle with the Horadrim, Baal managed to shatter the Soulstone before it could be used against him. The great mageTal Rasha, selflessly volunteered to act as the stone's extension, allowing himself to be possessed by the demon. Tal Rasha was entombed within the desert where he would wrestle Baal's spirit for all eternity. Diablo was finally captured in the Western lands. His Soulstone was buried beneath Tristram's Cathedral and guarded by the Horadrim. With all Three brothers imprisoned, the Horadrim thought their mission completed. But for the Prime Evils it had only just begun, as they started to focus their corrupting influence on their soulstone-prisons. They constantly tested the bounds of their imprisonment, slowly twisting the Soulstone to their needs. Like a slow malignant cancer the brothers spread their evil presence into the Stone, warping it's nature. Mephisto was the first to break free and he spread his corruption throughout the Eastern Lands. Diablo was next, and he ultimately took control of the hero that sought to destroy him. This allowed him to free Baal, and the brothers set out to reunite with their elder brother. In the depths of Travincal, the Three opened an Infernal Gate allowing Diablo to enter the Hells once again. Though later both Mephisto and Diablo were defeated, Baal remained hidden in the mortal realm, building up a vast army of Destruction. Baal then invaded the Barbarian lands of the North, burning a path of destruction towards the slopes of sacred Mount Arreat itself. Baal managed to currupt the Worldstone, prompting Tyrael to destroy it. And so the Prime Evils accomplished what they strove to achieve: the barrier between the Hells and Sanctuary had been removed. End of the War? With the Worldstone destroyed, humanity braced itself for an invasion by the forces of Hell - but that invasion never took place. It yet remains to be seen what has become of the struggle between Heaven and Hell. What is certain is that the battle for Sanctuary has only just begun - and that the Sin War is far from over. Excerpt from the Realms Beyond "All praises to Diablo - Lord of Terror and Survivor of the Dark Exile. When he awakened from his long slumber, my Lord and Master spoke to me of secrets that few mortals know. He told me the Kingdoms of the High Heavens and the Pits of the Burning Hells engage in an eternal war. He revealed the powers that have brought this discord to the realms of man. My Lord has named the battle for this world and all who exist here the Sin War."'' Notes Category:Lore